Determining the impacts of ocean acidification on the biochemical and mechanical properties of marine invertebrates

Abstract

Ocean Acidification (OA) is a reduction in the ocean’s pH, as a result of accumulating levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. The break down of CO2 in an oceanic environment leads to decreased CaCO3 saturation states. In this experiment, we test the hypothesis that a change in ocean acidification will result in altered hardness values, thickness measurements, crystal areas, and crack lengths in barnacles and Golden King Crabs.